There is a huge misconception out there that product costs as an independent gel nail tech are so high, so much so that you need to find the lowest priced ones, or you just can’t have a high profit margin.
🚫WRONG.
As someone who SPLURGED 💸 on clients by treating them to a ~$130 base gel as part of their structured mani, for many years… I can tell you that this particular base gel couldn’t put me out of business if it tried.
And to prove it I’m going to be breaking down the numbers for you.
Let me first say that you have the liberty to spend your money however you wish to. We all have different priorities in life. This is just my personal view, and it has served me well. I just want to put it out there so that it may serve whoever else needs to serve.
So I was a full-time independent nail artist from 2013-2018.
For at least half of that time, I was fully booked.
What got me to booked-solid success fast was the power of specialization in a high-value niche. For me, it was helping clients achieve their natural nail goals using only potted soft gel systems. Potted soft gel systems are structured gel nail systems that can be soaked off in acetone or rebalanced and are found in pots. They also offer a range of viscosities to overlay natural nail lengths.
And the brand I started with was Bio Sculpture Gel. Their base gel worked on all of my clients consistently like nothing else. Prior to using them, I was using it all, and I was struggling. Hard gel, acrylic, gel polish, regular nail lacquer. I had no clue about structure soft gel systems like Bio Sculpture and Japanese gel brands.
Not only was the retention amazing with potted soft gel systems, the look and feel of the nails was stunning- just beautiful lightweight natural finishes.
Eventually my clients wanted more length and strength and fun stuff, and at that time Bio Sculpture was not enough for these new client interests. So I started researching what other potted soft gel brands exist out there, and that’s when I discovered Japanese gel.
Their builders, the ones that are not 2-in1 (as in base and build in one), are so strong and these helped me overlay my longer-length nail clients. Around this time also, social media was booming, and with it was nail art! And what do you know? Lo and behold, Japanese gels checked that box perfectly. They are the epitome of fun nails when it comes to nail art. Just follow a few nail accounts or watch a bit of B-roll on the Tokyo Nail Expo to be convinced.
🖌So, my niche was set: natural length overlays with the most premium soft gel products, potted soft gel systems.
I used both Bio Sculpture and Japanese gels on my clients in this newly established niche for me.
And you may be wondering why not just switch over completely to Japanese Gel as they were fulfilling most of my nail needs.
Well, because I’m “loyal to the soil”😂. That’s what I started with, that’s what worked, and kept working, and so it was also a bit of … “if it’s not broken, why fix it.”
Not only that, I knew my numbers, and we’re going to break them down in just a moment.
That gel at that time gave me and my business confidence and stability like nothing else. So much so, that I didn’t even care that it was almost half as much as one of the Japanese base gel options.
My clients were worth it. My piece of mind was worth it.
So it begs the question… Was this roughly $130 base gel putting a financial strain on my business?🤔
📊Here’s the math…
- I saw approximately 60 clients per month.
- The base gel lasted me nearly exactly 30 days.
- The base gel cost approximately $125-130+ for just 25 grams
Let’s just say $125, as I often stocked up during a show sale.
$125/60 = $2.08
So it cost just over $2 to apply this gel to clients.
I know… plus, color, and top, and builder gel add on for my longer nail length clients.
Plus, alcohol, files, and PPE, and other disposables, but those values each, are just cent values added to the total table cost of servicing one client.
We’re at maybe $10 now, to service that client?
I know… plus utilities, and rent !
A-ha! Rent.
🏢 Rent is always where the real cost is going to add up.
(Same for the cost of living. How much you pay for your rent/lease/mortgage determines what else you’re really able to afford.)
Take for example, a salon suite:
- Maybe it costs $1400 per month.
- Maybe you have 60 clients.
Let’s divide that $1400 by 60 clients.
That gives us a value of $23.
That means it costs that client $23 just to be serviced in your work space/suite. So automatically, the price of your services starts at $23.
Now, we need a workplace! Working from home doing nails is not allowed in many jurisdictions, and it could lower the perceived value of your services. So, unless your home is zoned for commercial use, I discourage working from home.
💡What we do want to do is manage rent costs as much as possible.
Because I mean, just simply look at the numbers:
- $1400
- $125
These both are due every month.
Which one is higher? Obviously, $1400.
And yes, gel nail product costs are in the top 3 bigger monthly recurring expenses as an independent.
But rent is the biggest one.
Ideally nail techs, based on the income I know they can generate, should not pay more than $900 per month on rents or leases, with basic utilities included. So shop around to get in at a sustainable rate.
Because at $23 per client for just rent, that would mean that during the client’s first 30 mins of appointment time you haven’t made a profit!! Because of course you have more overhead than just rent.
So no, it’s not the products that keep you from being profitable… it’s the rent.
After splurging on that, the scarcity mindset kicks in, and then we want to find the lowest priced products to service those clients in our boutique space.
But products are such a big deal! They can help you retain or lose a client.
You know what I say, “If your nails stick, so do your clients”, and knowing how your products work, help nails stick, thereby growing your pool of happy returning clients.
My $130 base gel grew my business because of the retention it gave clients.
Yes I could have switched to maybe a $50 one, but that may not have been as universal across clients, and so I would have had the need to have multiple gel bases for different clients.
I knew the math, and my peace of mind and consistent results were worth paying a premium for an option that worked across all of my clients.
📚I want this exact same peace of mind for you when you know your numbers.
That is why I collaborated with one of my most successful students, Amanda of Nail Creations by Amanda, who earns $90,000+ per year as an independent nail artist.
And she is not holding back on showing you how easy it is to calculate your very own cost per service so that you can price confidently and profitably.
Her course material will show you how to gather the exact costs of your core nail gels, liquids, disposables, equipment and more!
We’re bringing you this limited-time opportunity in our collaborative coaching bundle, Price it Right! Enrollment is open only for the next 4 days.
As part of our Price it Right! coaching bundle, you will receive 5 items:
✅A class training
✅ Two ready-to-input spreadsheets,
✅ A workbook to help you have all of your deductions ready, come tax season.
✅A live Q&A with Amanda & me to walk you through everything
These are all tools you can use again and again every year to track your numbers.
In addition, Amanda and I will host one review + Q&A session to ensure you’re using your course material correctly and answer any of your questions when it comes to clarity around your numbers.
Click HERE for our coaching bundle. Do not wait too long, or you may miss this opportunity.
💬So let’s bring it all home.
Yes, rents and products are the two highest monthly expenses as an independent.
But rent is a much bigger number than products, so manage that first, and then invest in the best products you can afford and that will clearly set your business apart so that you can charge premium profitable prices.
And both need to be managed. I can now confidently treat all natural nail lengths with Japanese gel or really any other soft gel, because it’s pretty much all I have exclusively used for the last 5 years. But at that time, my head was deep into the business, it would have taken me months to trial and error the most universal fitting soft gel base, on myself first, then my clients.
Maybe some of my clients wouldn’t have been understanding during this trial period, and I would have lost them, and the recurring revenue they provided my business.
Ultimately, profitability and peace of mind come in knowing your numbers, so learn how to calculate them.
I don’t do pricing workshops often, so hopefully you can join us in the Price it Right! Coaching Bundle!
I’ll see you next week with a new video!
Paola Ponce is a licensed nail tech of 10+ years and a certified Japanese gel educator.
Learn more about her journey as a specialized gel nail artist and her gel nail application course inside her free masterclass here.
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